Why Splicing?
Splices are enormously strong when they are under tension, they create friction that is spread out over a large section of material. When they are not under tension though, there is not nearly as much friction, and the parts of rope could possibly move. So many splices have some stitches that hold them together when they are slack. The stitches do not contribute the strength, and when new they are not supposed to be very tight (they shouldn't interfere very much with the fibers aligning in response to stress.) Some splices are secured by whippings (many wraps of small twine around the outside of the cord) and some are stable on their own and don't need sitches.
Why Are There Stitches?
Most ropelite products start with 12-strand braided rope that is either dyneema or polyester. 12-strand rope is the most efficient way to get strength form a fiber, giving better strength for the weight than kernmantle rope or webbing. Deep bury splices retain 90-100% of that strength, and the SnakeSplice retains about 86-90%. This is better than sewn connections, which generally retain 80%, and knots, which weaken cordage a lot.
Splicing has another benefit though, in that the splice is smoother and more flexible than sewn terminations or knots. A spliced loop has no bumps or anything that will catch as it is pulled through hardware. You can tie knots in the spliced part. Nothing gets in the way of wrapping the device up to stow on your harness.
Why Are Your Prussiks and Hitch Cords Polyester?
Polyester is a well-proven material with a long history of use for climbing and other rope-dangling endeavors. Most climbers use prussik loops make from nylon, but polyester is a more abrasion resistant and stronger for the same cord dyameter. Some friction hitch products on the market are made with aramid fibers, which are very heat resistant but wear out quickly from being flexed. I intend to develop some hitch cords with other fibers but thus far the time and budget have only been adequate to make the polyester products thus far.
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The Polyester hitch cords and prussik loops have shown themselves to be very grippy and much stronger than similar devices made from nylon cord, and thus far I have only managed to melt them when pulling them to failure with a winch. Polyster is likely to maintain it's strength for much longer than aramids (such as Technora) that lose strength rapidly from flex fatigue. I have only managed to melt the polyester cords when pulling them to failure with a winch, so for most friction hitch uses they probably have a longer useful life than Aramid cords, and they are more economical.
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Why is the tail sticking out of the SnakeSplice?
The SnakeSplice is developed and used to keep the splice as short as possible. I could bury the tail and make it dissappear, but then the splice would be longer and either the usable part of the cord would be shorter, or the product would be longer overall. I use deep bury splices wherever I can and use the SnakeSplice specifially to save space.